Old Rite of Blessing Holy Water
First, the exorcism and blessing of the SALT:
I exorcize thee, created element of salt,
by the living God, by the true God, by the holy God,
by God Who by the hand of Eliseus the prophet mingled thee with water in
order that the barrenness thereof might be healed; that thou mayest be made
salt from which the evil spirit hath been cast forth
for the health of the faithful
and mayest bring to all who partake of thee health of soul and body: and that there
may be banished from the place in which thou shalt be sprinkled, every kind of hallucination and wickedness, or craft of devilish deceit, and every unclean spirit,
in the name of Him Who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. Amen.
Let us pray. –
We humbly entreat, O God, Thy boundless mercy and love for us,
to bless and hallow this created element of salt, which Thou hast given to mankind
for their use,
that it may make for health of mind and body to all who partake of it,
and that everything touched or sprinkled with it may be freed from all uncleanness,
and from all assaults of wicked spirits. Through our Lord.
Then the exorcism and blessing of the water alone:
I exorcize you, creature of water, in the name
of God + the Father almighty, in the name of
Jesus + Christ his Son our Lord, and in the power of the Holy + Spirit: that you may be
water exorcized for putting all strength of the
enemy to flight, and
that you may be
empowered to uproot and cast out the enemy
himself with his apostate angels, by the power
of the same Jesus Christ our Lord: Who shall
come to judge the living and the dead, and the
world by fire. R. Amen.
Prayer:
O God, who for the salvation of the human
race have founded all the greatest mysteries
in the substance of water: be favorable to our prayers,
and pour forth the power of your blessing + upon this element
prepared with manifold purifications: so that
your creature, serving your mysteries, may take
up the effect of divine grace **for expelling
demons and driving away diseases; so that
whatsoever this water sprinkles in the homes
or places of the faithful, may be freed from all
uncleanness, and delivered from harm: may
the pestilential spirit not remain there, nor
destroying air: may all snares of the hidden
enemy depart; and if there be anything that is
hostile towards either the safety or the repose
of the inhabitants, let it flee with the sprinkling
of this water: so that the well-being asked
through the invocation of your holy name may
be defended from all that attacks it. ** Through
our Lord Jesus Christ your Son: who with you
lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever. R. Amen.
Blessing over the combined salt and holy water:
O God, source of invincible strength and king
of insuperable dominion, and ever magnificent
triumphant one: you who restrain the force of
the adversary’s dominion: you who overcome
the savagery of the raging enemy: you who
powerfully defeat hostile influences: trembling
and prostrate we humbly beseech and implore
you, Lord: that you may look kindly upon this
creature of salt and water,
graciously illumine
and sanctify it with the dew of your mercy: that
wherever it shall be sprinkled, through the
invocation of your holy name, every infestation
of the unclean spirit may be banished: and the
terror of the venomous serpent may be driven
afar: and may the presence of the Holy Spirit
deign to be everywhere with us, who ask your
mercy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son:
who lives and reigns in the unity of the same
Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. R. Amen.
Wow! The difference is night and day! I wouldn’t settle for anything less.
There is more info in the following link…it’s more scholarly than what I’ve provided.
liturgysociety.org/JOURNAL/Volume8/VanSlyke8.2.pdf
God Bless!!!
) We have what looks like a giant mason jar at the parish with a tap on it.
We also have had it blessed on Epiphany a few times. The chalk marks also get visitors asking questions until they are worn off by the weather.
